


Promise Me

by Katieb161



Series: Love and the Game [5]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Comfort/Angst, Death, Grief/Mourning, Terminal Illnesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 01:03:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15984278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katieb161/pseuds/Katieb161
Summary: This is a drabble from my football AU 'Love and the Game' series.Iris falls ill, Barry has to come to terms with losing his wife.





	Promise Me

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger Warning
> 
> Angst, terminal illness, death
> 
> Thank you to my beta bwhams

They walked out of the doctors office hand in hand. He opened up the passenger door for his wife and made sure she got in okay. He took his time walking around the car, trying to collect himself. Once he felt like he was okay, he sat in the drivers seat. His hands were trembling, he could barely get the key into the ignition.

Finally his wife placed her hand on his. "Barry, I'll be okay." He could keep his composure no longer. Tears started flooding down his face. "I can't lose you," he told her.

Iris had just been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She hadn't been feeling well recently and her last mammogram showed that there may be an issue. When she was told by her gynecologist that she would need to see an oncologist, the first thing that came to her mind was how was she going to tell Barry.

He initially didn't take the news well. He cried for hours. Iris was able to calm him some by telling him, it was still early and they didn't know anything yet. She convinced him to wait until they saw the doctor before becoming too concerned.

When Dr. Knight revealed to them that it was in fact cancer, Iris was the one to remain strong. She knew Barry was going to have a hard time with this. He always worried about the people he loved leaving him, especially after he lost both of his parents. He didn't know how he would survive without Iris.

He pulled himself together enough to get home. They called the twins home so that they could tell them. Nora was still living in Central City as a divorce lawyer. She had a two year old son with her long time boyfriend. Donnie was living in Starling as an chemist. He was newly married and hoping to start his own family in the near future. He told his mother he would be on the next flight out and would be home the next day.

That night, Iris decided to take Barry out, to give him one good night before the reality of the situation really kicked in. As a surprise, Iris took him to the place where they had their first date. She had the gazebo by the waterfront decorated just as it was that night. The restaurant that served them the first time was no longer open, it had been replaced by a hookah lounge, but she was able to find a place that could recreate the menu as well.

Barry was surprised and more in love with her at the thoughtfulness. She was the one who was facing her own mortality, yet she was trying to be strong for him. They ate and reminisced about their first year together. When they were falling in love with each other. After dinner, they took a walk on the same path that they did years ago, hand in hand.

Iris stopped them. "Do you remember this spot?"

Barry smiled. He took his hands, wrinkled and aged with sunspots and held on to hers. They were still as soft and loving as the first time he touched them. "This is where we had our first kiss."

"It was," she smiled in response.

Barry leaned down and took her face in his hands. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips. He looked into her eyes and she pulled him in closer for a more intense kiss.

"Wow," he said when they parted, just like the first time. Iris interlocked his fingers with his as they continued on their walk. When they got home, they made love. Like it might have been the last time. When they finished, Iris laid in Barry's arms, wiping the falling tears from his eyes.

The twins had arrived at the house the next day. They weren't sure what they were having a family meeting about, but they were both concerned. They could tell that Iris was being too peppy and Barry was barely speaking. They settled in the living room and Iris broke the news.

"We saw the doctor yesterday, I have breast cancer." Iris told them in the most calming voice that she could.

"What? Cancer? How? Why?" was all the Donnie was able to get out.

"How long?" was all Nora was able to muster.

"Well, it's stage 3. They want to perform a double mastectomy and start me on Chemo and radiation," Iris answered.

"Stage 3 mom?" the tears finally started falling from Donnie's face. Iris knew he would take it the hardest of the two. He was always the emotional one, and a momma's boy. Iris got up from her seat and went to comfort her son.  
"Listen Donnie, there is still treatment available to me okay. I need you, your sister and father to be strong for me okay."

Finally Barry spoke up, with a cracked voice he explained, "We are going to get through this...together."

Iris had her surgery shortly after. Once she was healed up enough from that, she started on her chemo and radiation. The doctors wanted to be as aggressive as her cancer was. Iris was extremely sick during her treatment. They always said that the treatment was worse than the disease.

Barry took such good care of her. He went to every single appointment and treatment session. At home, he was attentive as possible, making sure she was eating and taking her meds. When she was too tired to make it up the stairs, he would carry her. And when her hair started falling out, he went out and bought her hair scarves in every color he could find. She was surprised when he wrapped the scarf on her head the first time, she didn't know where he learned that from.

When her treatment ended, things were good...for a while. She decided to take an early retirement. Barry took her on a trip to Europe, travelling to London, Paris and Athens. The two of them had taken many trips during their life together, but this was Iris' favorite. She was glad that Barry would have those memories when she was gone.

A year after treatment, they received some news that they were hoping they would never hear. The cancer was not only back, but had spread to her liver and kidneys. They again talked about treatment options, but the cancer was even more aggressive this time around.

Iris made the decision to forgo any more treatment. It wasn't that she was giving up, but she didn't want to spend her last days being sick from trying to get better. Even with treatment, her doctors gave her a 10% chance to even make it another 2 years. That night in bed, she decided to break the news to Barry.

"We need to talk babe." she told him, not ready for where this conversation was going to lead.

"Anything you want."

"I don't want to go through chemo again," she looked at him with serious eyes. He looked back at her in disbelief.

"What do you mean? You have to at least try Iris."

"Trust me Barr, it's hard to think about leaving you, or our kids and grandson. But I would rather spend my last days spending time with my family, leaving as many good memories for you all as I can. I don't want to waste time being sick in bed."

"Iris-"

"Barry, I know that we always make decisions together, but I have to make this one on my own."

Barry didn't argue anymore with her. Once Iris had her mind set on something there was no changing it. He decided he would just make the most of whatever time they had left together.

They enjoyed the next 6 months with each other. Barry barely left her side. When the doctors said it was time for Iris to go into Hospice, Barry refused to let her go to a facility. He wanted her home, with him.

The night before Iris was called home, she knew it was coming. She was glad she spent that evening with her kids and grandson. After a while, she asked them to leave the room, she wanted to spend some alone time with the love of her life.

"Do you remember the first time we broke up?" she asked him.

"How could I forget, I thought that I lost you forever," he responded, remembering that rough period in their relationship.

"So then you remember what I said when we got back together?"

"You told me that you were so in love with me that it scared you."

"Yeah, and it was true, still is a little bit. So then you remember what you told me?"

"I told you that I never wanted to have anyone else lips on mine but yours for the rest of my life," he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

She smiled at the memory. "Barr, I don't want to you to close yourself off when I'm gone okay. It will be okay to be sad for a little while. But you have to be strong, strong for our kids and strong for you. And I don't want you to be lonely. If you meet someone you think you can share your love with, do it. I give you my blessing okay."

"Iris, I could never-"

"Promise me Barr, okay?"

"Okay," he choked out.

"You know, you made me the luckiest woman on earth. I love you Barry Allen."

"I love you Iris West-Allen."

Iris passed in the middle of the night. She was correct in her assertion that Barry would close himself off. And he did, for a while. But then something happened. Nora had a little baby girl. The first time Barry held her in his arms, he knew she was a gift, an angel sent from his Iris. For the first time in a long time, Barry was able to open up his heart and share his love with someone.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for a sad one, I've been thinking about writing this one for a while. I plan to do more drabbles for this universe and most of those will be happy ones, I promise!


End file.
